Vietnam (MNN) ― A pastor in Vietnam contacted Bible Pathway late last year and asked for more Bibles and Bible Pathway Devotionals, but the need is outpacing the resources.
Al Joslyn with Bible Pathway Ministries says this pastor stumbled on a copy of the devotional 13 years ago. He was able to read in English, so he used it alongside his normal Bible study. Because it was such a useful tool, he began sharing it with a network of pastors in the underground church in Vietnam.
As a result of the initial contact with Bible Pathway, a shipment of English Bibles and Bible Pathway materials was sent. More pastors began to contact the ministry, requesting similar resources in Vietnamese.
Reservicing the country became a intriguing project due to the church growth. However, they couldn't do it alone. Joslyn says they ran the requests in their newsletter, which resulted in "a response from a former veteran of the Vietnam War who is now a pastor in West Virginia. He gave a thousand dollar gift to send Bibles."
Although encouraging, there was still one problem. "Unfortunately, we don't have Bible Pathway in Vietnamese. We are looking for a translator for that."
Such an open association could be risky. Vietnam believers are no strangers to persecution. The oppression is most intense for the ethnic minorities, especially the Montagnards from the hill country.
Despite the persecution, instead of being destroyed, the church in Vietnam is growing and becoming stronger. Christians now make up almost ten percent of the population. Now is the time to strike. "We can ship into those countries. I feel like we need to step into that door and meet the needs there. This could be a very fruitful field for Christ."
Joslyn says aside from prayer, "Finances are needed to purchase and to obtain these Bibles and send them over. Shipping costs are high, and [it's important] to help these folks to be able to get them from the postal system once they arrive."
